Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticized senators, accusing them of becoming puppets of President Bola Tinubu rather than serving as elected representatives of the people.
Atiku expressed grave concerns about Nigeria’s democracy, warning that the National Assembly’s collaboration with the current administration’s policies could lead to a worsening situation for the populace.
In his first official response to the Senate’s removal of former Senate Majority Whip Senator Muhammad Ali Ndume for criticizing the President, Atiku described President Tinubu’s actions as displaying despotic tendencies.
“This emerging reality must stop,” Atiku stated in a public statement released in Abuja. “The health of our democracy is being compromised by this unholy alliance between the executive and the legislature and portends a dictatorship that will worsen the lot of the people.”
Atiku lamented the legislative branch’s role, saying, “The democracy in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration has deviated from the fundamental principles of protecting citizens from executive overreach.”
He criticized the Senate’s response to dissenting voices, citing examples such as Senator Abdul Ningi’s suspension after raising concerns about budget irregularities.
Atiku also condemned the Senate’s decision to remove Ndume from his position for urging the President to address the country’s socio-economic challenges.
“At present, the National Assembly appears complicit in the executive’s disregard for the people’s plight,” Atiku concluded, highlighting what he sees as a worrying pattern of legislative acquiescence to executive excesses.
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